Aeroplane.



R. H.`NEAL,

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. la. 1915.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

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AEROPLANE. l APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8.v 1.915. 1,170,777. A Peteneed Feb.8,1.916.

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AERCIPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1915- 1,170,777. l y Petented Feb.8,1916.

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ROLLAND H. NEAL,`0F LAKE CITY, MINNESOTA.

AEROPLANF.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. s. 1916.

Application led September 18, 1915. Serial No. 51,492. l r

To' all whom it' may concern e Be it known that I, ROLLAND H. NEAL, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Lake City, in the county of Wabasha and State of Minnesota, have invented certain newv and useful Im rovements in Aeroplanes, ofv

which the ollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in l aeroplanes, its object being to provide an improved method of propulsion for the aeroplane taking the place ofthe ordinary propellers. To this end I provide a plurality of air suction and discharge tubes so constructed and arranged as to drive the aeroplane forward or to raise the same as the air is drawn into and discharged from, said tubes. I claim byl means of my improved method of propulsion and features of construction to be able to secure a greater speed and stability than is possible with the ordinary construction of aeroplane.

To this end the invention consists in the features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplane constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan viewl of the same; Fig. 3 is an end view partly broken away; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of one of the propulsion tubes; Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the rudder; Fig. 7

' is a perspective view of the modified construction; and Fig. 8 is an'end view of the pair of fans 7 and 8, the fans having journal v support 9 andbeing connected with a suitable engine 10 through the medium of pmions 11 and shaft 12. The fan 7 is located inI front of the fan 8 and the'blades of the fans are so positioned that in the operation there-v of the fan 7 will suck the air into the-tubes 3 and the fan 8-'will force the indrawn air outwardly through the-flared endofthe tube around the central cone 5.

. may be.

Arranged at the .sides of the longitudinal tube are the upright tubes 13 constructed similar to the longitudinal tubes withvthe smaller' end of the tubes opening at the top fofy the plane 2 and thel flaring, ends of the tubes opening downwardly. Fans 14 and 15 corresponding with the fans 7 and 8 are supported within the tubes ,13l and connected through the pinions 16 and shaft 17 with a suitable engine 18. A rudder 19 is secured to the rear of the machine upon a shaft 2O which is adapted to be turned through the medium of a rod 21 having offset connection at one end with'a lever shaft and at the other end as shown connected with a suitable foot lever. vFor the purpose of tilting the -machine I provide planes or blades 22 mounted on a horizontal shaft 23 and operatively connected as by a rod 24 with a foot lever.

In operation the aviator will in driving l forward connect the engine 10 with the fans 7 and 8 and in raising the aeroplane connect the engine 18 with the fans 14 and 15. The rudder 19 will be used in the ordinary man'- ner to steer the machine in its forward travel and the tilting planes or blades 22 to the case may be, being sucked in the smaller ends -of the tube by the indrawing fan and forced -out of the flared discharge end of thef tube by the fan 8 or 15, as the case As the air is forced out through the flared end of the tubes it will be spread around the cone 5 covering a larger area in the discharge than if the tube was uniared and assist in the propulsion and stability.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 7 I employ two longitudinal pipes instead of one, and in order ,to accommodate the longitudinal pipes arrange the vertical pipes in front of'each other, 'as shown best in Fig. 7. The construction of the tubes is Iclaim:l

comprising a framework and a rigidly supported plane, a propulsion tube extending longitudinally of said aeroplane and having `an enlarged rear end, a' tapered cone centrally positioned 'in the enlarged end of said ported plane, a propulsion tube extending longitudinally of said aeroplane and having an enlarged rear end,'a tapered'cone centrally-positioned inthe enlarged end of said tube, means for drawing the air into the smaller end of said tube and forcing it out of the ared end around said cone comprising a fan positioned toward the inlet end of the tube, and a discharge ,fan at the rear lof said indrawing fan, and means for actuating Said fans.l

3. 'An aeroplane of*` the class described comprising a framework and a rigidly supported plane, a proulsion tube extending longitudinally of sa' aeroplane and having an enlarged rear end, a tapered cone centrally positioned in the enlarged endof said tube, means for drawing the air into the smaller -end of said tube and forcing it out ofthe flared end around said cone, and a plurality of similar suction tubes extending vertically of said aeroplane with thesmaller ends opening into the top of the plane and the Haring ends at the bottom thereof.

4. An aeroplane of the class described comprising a framework and a rigidly'supported lane, a propulsion tube extending longitudinally of said aeroplane and having an enlarged rear vend, a tapered cone centrally positioned in the enlarged end of said tube, means for drawing the air into the smaller end of said tube and forcing it out of the flared end around said cone, and vertical and horizontal guiding rudders for said machine.'

In testimony whereof I" aix my signature in presence of a-witness.

Romani) H. NEAL. Witness:

H.v JOHNSON. 

